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ITINERARY SLICE OF CALIFORNIA: SEABIRDS TO SIERRAS II

September 3-12, 2015

We include here information for those interested in the 2015 Field Guides Slice of California tour: ⎯ a general introduction to the tour ⎯ a description of the birding areas to be visited on the tour ⎯ an abbreviated daily itinerary with some indication of the nature of each dayʼs birding outings Those who register for the tour will be sent this additional material: ⎯ an annotated list of the birds recorded on a previous yearʼs Field Guides trip to the area, with comments by guide(s) on notable species or sightings (may be downloaded from our web site) ⎯ a detailed information bulletin with important logistical information and answers to questions regarding accommodations, air arrangements, clothing, currency, customs and immigration, documents, health precautions, and personal items ⎯ a reference list ⎯ a Field Guides checklist for preparing for and keeping track of the birds we see on the tour ⎯ after the conclusion of the tour, a list of birds seen on the tour Within the US, California has few rivals when it comes to habitat diversity. It seems that every few miles things change, which makes for a wonderful assortment of birds, from Marbled Murrelets nesting in old growth coastal forests, Sooty Shearwaters visiting from the southern hemisphere, and Black-footed Albatrosses on foraging runs from colonies in Hawaii, to enigmatic Wrentits, Nuttallʼs and White-headed woodpeckers, Williamsonʼs Sapsucker, California Thrashers, Lawrenceʼs Goldfinch, and Oak Titmouse. Even some species

widespread elsewhere have California twists, such as “California Raven” (a potential split) and “Thick-billed” Fox Sparrow. From the coast weʼll cross the Diablo Range and the agricultural Central Valley on our way to the Sierra Mountains. We will spend a couple of days working different elevations in the Sierras, birding the conifer forests and the very productive deciduous riparian and meadow habitats. Weʼll spend the remainder of the trip exploring the San Francisco Bay Area in depth. In summer, coastal fog comes in off the ocean and is caught by the coast slopes, only passing through the famous Golden Gate or low passes in the hills. This creates an incredible moisture gradient, giving each region of the Bay Area a different climate and habitat type. We will be covering the rocky coast, coast slope, the Bayside, and the bay itself, as well as the inland Diablo range—each with different avifaunas. The diversity within the Bay Area makes for great birding. A highlight will be a pelagic trip to the rich waters of the Pacific, where our main quest will be a diversity of seabirds, from shearwaters, to storm-petrels, phalaropes, and yes, maybe even a Black-footed Albatross. Most common at this time of year are Sooty and Pink-footed shearwaters, Common Murre, Cassinʼs (if there is krill) and Rhinoceros auklets, and who knows what else—the ocean always holds surprises. About the Physical Requirements & Pace: Fall is a wonderful time to bird in northern California with its varied habitats ranging from coastal wetlands and high mountain conifer forest to interior sagebrush desert. In order to sample the rich assortment of habitats, weʼll have several long drives, but weʼll be birding and stopping along the way and taking in the great scenery. Particularly while in the mountains, we may undertake some short hikes on trails or logging roads but at a

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moderate pace. In the Sierras, we will reach elevations as high as 9700 feet. A highlight of our tour will be a pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay; if you are prone to motion sickness, you should take the necessary precautions. If you are uncertain about whether this tour is a good match for your abilities, please donʼt hesitate to contact our office; if they cannot directly answer your queries, they will put you in touch with Tom.

About the Birding Areas The Diablo Range creates the eastern border of the San Francisco Bay Area. Unlike the coastal Santa Cruz Mountains, the Diablo is dryer and therefore differs in its birdlife. The mix of grassland, chaparral, oak woodland, and Gray Pine stands makes for an exciting diversity of birds. Here we will be looking for Wild Turkey, Greater Roadrunner, Nuttallʼs and Lewisʼs woodpeckers, California Thrasher, Oak Titmouse, Phainopepla, Yellow-billed Magpie, Lawrenceʼs Goldfinch, California Towhee, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow. The Central Valley is thought to have once been a huge inland sea, which, as it dried up, left a large, flat expanse of nutrient-rich soil. Drainage was poor and huge marshes flourished, and it is in these marshes that the Tricolored Blackbird probably evolved. As is typical all over the world, most of the marshes have been drained for farming, and it is now a flat, hot, rather uninspiring set of farms and orchards. But donʼt despair; there are pockets of marsh habitat left where we shall look for the Tricolored Blackbird unless weʼve seen them already in their coastal wintering quarters. As we drive through we are almost sure to encounter Yellow-billed Magpies and perhaps a Swainsonʼs Hawk or Loggerhead Shrike, and with luck White-faced Ibis. The Sierra—The great Central Valley of California is circled by a ring of oak savanna on the slopes of the Diablo Range on the west and the Sierra on the east. A little higher up the forests are dominated by conifers, from the massive Giant Sequoias at lower elevations to Lodgepole Pine in the higher places. To fully appreciate the bird life of this zone we need to move up and down in elevation. We will visit the Calaveras Big Trees State Park where we will concentrate on finding White-headed Woodpecker. In the general area weʼll look and listen for Mountain Quail (always tough), Red-breasted Sapsucker, Mountain Chickadee, Hermit and MacGillivrayʼs warblers, and Western Tanager, among others. Venturing higher up on the Sierra we may see some of these same species, but have a better chance at Williamsonʼs Sapsucker, Clarkʼs Nutcracker, Mountain Bluebird, Townsendʼs Solitaire, Cassinʼs Finch, and ʻThick-billedʼ Fox Sparrow. On our drive east across the Sierra to Lee Vining, we shall have another chance to look for anything we missed. As we head east, it becomes drier and drier—the east slope of the Sierras is drier than the west slope—but birds here congregate in any good riparian zone. We will bird some conifer forests and a good riparian zone up above Lee Vining to find any forest birds that have eluded us so far. We may also encounter Sayʼs Phoebe, American Dipper, Green-tailed Towhee, and Lazuli Bunting.

Sunrise near Lee Vining photographed by guide Chris Benesh.

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Californiaʼs Central Coast—Big Sur has nothing on the San Mateo coast, with its beautiful beaches, the Santa Cruz Mountains, seaside cliffs, and rocky shoreline, which all add up to a very pretty place to go birding. In the coastal chaparral we will look for California Quail, Bewickʼs Wren, Wrentit, "Nuttallʼs" White-crowned Sparrow, and Spotted Towhee. The coastal slope is moister than any other area we will visit on this tour, so there are plenty of creeks with great willow/alder riparian forests to bird. Here we will look for ʻCaliforniaʼ Red-shouldered Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, Vauxʼs Swift, Pacific-Slope Flycatcher, Western Wood Pewee, Black Phoebe, Violet-green Swallow, "California" Common Raven, Stellerʼs Jay, Bushtit, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pygmy Nuthatch, Warbling and Cassinʼs vireos, Orange-crowned and Wilsonʼs warblers, Black-headed Grosbeak, Purple Finch, and Lesser Goldfinch. At this time of year vagrant landbirds are found on the coast, most of which are eastern warblers, but sometimes itʼs a southwestern species. We will be alert and looking for any oddities. Coastal birding throughout the county may find a lingering non-breeding Pacific Loon or Surf Scoter, or maybe some shorebirds such as Willet, Marbled Godwit, and Snowy Plovers. Other common coastal birds include Brown Pelican, Brandtʼs and Pelagic cormorants, and Western and Heermannʼs gulls. As shorebirds will be heading south at this time of year, we will make sure to visit some great shorebirding sites in the Bay Area depending, of course, on the tides. Pelagic Birding—A highlight of any California birding trip is a pelagic excursion. The waters off Half Moon Bay have only been explored relatively recently, but have proven to offer exciting opportunities for pelagic birding. We will likely get at least twenty miles out, but this varies depending on sea conditions and where the activity is. September is the peak of seabirding in California, with the greatest diversity of any time of year. We expect numbers of Sooty and Pink-footed shearwaters, as well as some Bullerʼs and maybe even the uncommon Flesh-footed. If we are lucky, we could encounter storm-petrels, with Ashy being the most common species. It is not the best time for the Black-footed Albatross, but previous trips have been successful in seeing them. Resident Common Murres shall be around as well as Rhinoceros and Cassinʼs auklets, although the latter is dependent on krill being present. The marine mammal show can be fantastic, with Humpback and rarely Blue whales, although numbers of the latter vary from year to year. But as is always the case on a pelagic trip, we may just run into something very surprising, and one often does in the fall in California. It promises to be fun!

Itinerary for Slice of California Day 1, Thu, 3 Sep. Arrival in San Francisco. Upon arrival in San Francisco you may take the hotel courtesy bus from the airport. Please plan to arrive in time to meet in the hotel lobby at 6:00 p.m. for our get-acquainted dinner. Night near San Francisco Airport. Day 2, Fri, 4 Sep. Bay Area birding. The schedule today is not set in stone. Our options in and around the Bay Area are many. Perhaps we will venture to the crest of the Santa Cruz mountains and then descend to the south bay near San Jose looking for lingering shorebirds, Forsterʼs Terns, Black-necked Stilt, Hooded Oriole, Black-throated Gray Warbler,

The California coastline is great for shorebirds, like this Marbled Godwit, lovely in flight. Photo by participant Chris DeCilio.

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Western Bluebird, or a dizzying number of other species that make the San Francisco Bay Area their home. Night in Half Moon Bay. Day 3, Sat, 5 Sep. Pelagic trip. After an early breakfast, weʼll head to the harbor and board our boat. We will join Chris Benesh and the Slice of California I group to embark on our pelagic adventure together. We should be at sea for at least eight hours, possibly more. Night in Half Moon Bay. Day 4, Sun, 6 Sep. Coastal birding. Today we will visit the coastal chaparral, marshes, rocky coasts, and willow thickets of San Mateo County. The habitat is diverse and so will be the species we see. We will keep our options open and visit several areas that have proven to be recently productive. Night in Half Moon Bay. Day 5, Mon, 7 Sep. Central Valley; drive to Sierra. After an early breakfast, we will head east to the Sierra with many stops in-between. First weʼll explore the scrubby chaparral zone of Mines Road in the Diablo Range, winding our way through to the Central Valley. We will concentrate some time at sites in the flat agricultural land of the Central Valley hoping for local specialties (e.g. Yellow-billed Magpie) before continuing east to the foothills and into the west flank of the Sierra where we will get back into the forests again. This will be a long, but birdy and enjoyable day. Night in Sonora. Day 6, Tue, 8 Sep. West slope of Sierras. Today weʼll concentrate on birding the conifer forests of the western Sierra. This will mean working Highway 4 with a productive stop at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. We will continue to higher elevations if time permits. Night in Sonora. Day 7, Wed, 9 Sep. Sierras to Lee Vining. This morning weʼll cross the Sierras on Route 108, cresting at Sonora Pass. Weʼll bird along the road and at the pass in search of Sierran specialties. Night in Lee Vining. Day 8, Thu, 10 Sep. Lee Vining. Weʼll devote a full day to birding environs near the town of Lee Vining. In the afternoon we will visit the ghost town of Bodie, where we can enjoy the place and look for sage species such as Greater Sage Grouse. Night in Lee Vining. Day 9, Fri, 11 Sep. Return drive to San Francisco. Today is a travel day; however, we will be watching for any species that may have eluded us so far and will make an effort (time permitting) to find as many of them as we can. Night in San Francisco. Day 10, Sat, 12 Sep. Departure for home. You may plan to depart for home at any time today; the hotel has a free shuttle to the airport. Have a safe trip!

About Your Guide Tom Johnson grew up watching birds in central Pennsylvania. Interested in science and the outdoors from a young age, Tom became involved in a variety of field projects throughout his school years, including banding migrant landbirds and

White-headed Woodpecker by participant Chris DeCilio.

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conducting point counts for the 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas. He was fortunate to pursue undergraduate studies in biology at Cornell University, where he became even more excited to learn about systematics and migration while surrounded by the amazing ornithologists and birders of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Since graduating from college, Tom has spent much of his time studying seabirds off the east coast of North America, conducting line transect surveys from NOAA ships between Nova Scotia and the Bahamas. When he's not otherwise occupied, he loves to devote time to wandering, taking photos, and searching for vagrants and hybrid birds. Tom has long been interested in sharing his enthusiasm for exploring bird identification, distribution, and migration dynamics; he is a regional editor for North American Birds magazine and writes a regular column on identification for Birding magazine. Perhaps most of all, he loves sharing his passion for the natural world with others out in the field, and he's excited to have the opportunity to do this while leading for Field Guides. Visit http://fieldguides.com/guides and click on Tomʼs photo for his complete tour schedule.

Financial Information FEE: $3475 from San Francisco AIRFARE: Contact our office for fares from your departure city. DEPOSIT: $350 per person FINAL PAYMENT DUE: May 6, 2015 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT (Optional): $615 LIMIT: 7 As of January 2014, the tour limit on all single-leader US Field Guides tours will be reduced from 8 clients to 7. As we typically travel in 12 or 15 passenger vans, this will give everyone more room in the van.

Other Things You Need to Know TOUR MANAGER: The manager for this tour is Caroline Lewis. Caroline will be happy to assist you in preparing for the tour. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call her! A NOTE ON ALTITUDE: We will reach an elevation of nearly 10,000 feet on this tour. AIR ARRANGEMENTS: Field Guides is a full service travel agency and your tour manager will be happy to assist you with flights to join this tour. Field Guides does not charge a service fee for these services to clients booking a tour. However, we understand that tech-savvy clients often prefer to shop online or that you may wish to use mileage to purchase tickets. Regardless of which method you choose, your tour manager will be happy to provide assistance regarding ticket prices and schedules, along with rental cars and extra hotel nights as needed. Please be sure to check with your tour manager prior to purchasing your ticket to make sure the flights you have chosen will work well with the tour itinerary and that the tour is sufficiently subscribed to operate. Once purchased, most airline tickets are non-refundable and carry a penalty to change. Field Guides cannot be responsible for these fees. Also, it is imperative that we receive a copy of your comprehensive flight itinerary—including any and all flights not covered in the tour fee—so that we may track you in the event of missed connections, delays, or other mishaps. LUGGAGE: Please be aware that many airlines have recently modified their luggage policies and are charging additional fees for checked bags. Updates could easily occur before your departure, so you may wish to contact your airline to verify the policy. Additional charges for bags on any flights, whether these are covered by the tour fee or not, will be the clientʼs responsibility.

“It was a pleasure to meet Tom Johnson. His ability to observe with eyes and ears is an inspiration for me. He is going to be an incredible leader, and I will search for trips with him in the future! Field Guides is clearly building its future!” P.P., Slice of California

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TOUR INCLUSIONS/EXCLUSIONS: The tour fee is $3475 for one person in double occupancy from San Francisco. It includes all lodging from Day 1 through Day 9, all meals from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 9, all ground transportation, boat trips, entrance fees, and the guide services of the tour leader(s). Tipping at group meals and for drivers, porters, and local guides is included in your tour fee and will be handled for the group by your Field Guides leader(s). However, if you would like to recognize your Field Guides leader(s) or any local guide(s) for exceptional service, it is entirely appropriate to tip. We emphasize that such tips are optional and not expected. The above fee does not include your airfare to and from San Francisco, airport taxes, any checked or carry-on baggage charges imposed by the airlines, any alcoholic beverages, optional tips to local drivers, phone calls, laundry, or other items of a personal nature. The single supplement for the tour is $615. If you do not have a roommate but wish to share, we will try to pair you with a roommate from the tour; but if none is available, you will be billed for the single supplement. Our tour fees are based on double occupancy; one-half the cost of a double room is priced into the tour fee. The single supplement is calculated by taking the actual cost of a single room and subtracting one-half the cost of a double room (plus any applicable taxes). TOUR REGISTRATION: To register for this tour, complete the Registration/Release and Indemnity form and return it with a deposit of $350 per person. If registering by phone, a deposit must be received within fourteen days, or the space will be released. Full payment of the tour fee is due 120 days prior to departure, or by May 6, 2015. We will bill you for the final payment at either 120 days or when the tour has reached sufficient subscription to operate, whichever date comes later. Since the cost of your trip insurance and airline tickets is generally non-refundable, please do not finalize these purchases until you have received final billing for the tour or have been advised that the tour is sufficiently subscribed to operate by your tour manager. SMOKING: Almost all of our clients prefer a smoke-free environment. If you smoke, please be sensitive to the group and refrain from smoking at meals, in vehicles, and in proximity to the group on trails and elsewhere. CANCELLATION POLICY: Refund of deposit and payment, less $100 handling fee, will be made if cancellation is received up to 120 days before departure. If cancellation occurs between 119 and 70 days before the departure date, 50% of the tour fee is refundable. Thereafter, all deposits and payments are not refundable. This policy only applies to payments made to Field Guides for tour (and any services included in those fees). Airline tickets not included in the tour fee and purchased separately often carry penalties for cancellation or change, or are sometimes totally non-refundable. Additionally, if you take out trip insurance the cost of the insurance is not refundable so it is best to purchase the policy just prior to making full payment for the tour or at the time you purchase airline tickets, depending upon the airlines restrictions. The right is reserved to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. The right is reserved to substitute in case of emergency another guide for the original one. TRIP CANCELLATION & MEDICAL EMERGENCY INSURANCE: We strongly recommend you consider purchasing trip cancellation (including medical emergency) insurance to cover your investment in case of injury or illness to you or your family prior to or during a trip. Because we must remit early (and substantial) tour deposits to our suppliers, we cannot offer any refund when cancellation occurs within 70 days of departure, and only a partial refund from 70 to 119 days prior to departure (see CANCELLATION POLICY). In addition, the Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and if it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. US medical insurance plans seldom cover health costs incurred outside the United States unless supplemental coverage is purchased. Furthermore, US Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. When making a decision regarding health insurance, Americans should consider that many foreign doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service and that a medical evacuation to the United States may cost well in excess of $50,000. Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas often face extreme difficulties. When consulting with your insurer prior to your trip, please ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas healthcare provider or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses that you incur. US citizens will receive from us a brochure regarding optional tour cancellation/emergency medical insurance. Our agent, CSA, will insure for trip cancellation and interruption, medical coverage, travel delay, baggage loss and delay, 24-hour accident protection, and emergency medical transportation. If you purchase the insurance when making final

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payment for the tour, and cover all non-refundable parts of the trip (including any non-refundable flights), pre-existing conditions are covered. The CSA brochure includes a contact number; you may also purchase your CSA policy on-line by visiting our website at http://www.fieldguides.com/travelinsurance.htm and clicking the link to CSA. Please note, once the insurance is purchased it is non-refundable, so please check with your tour manager prior to making the purchase to assure the tour will operate as scheduled. Citizens of other countries are urged to consult their insurance broker. RESPONSIBILITY: For and in consideration of the opportunity to participate in the tour, each tour participant and each parent or legal guardian of a tour participant who is under 18 agrees to release, indemnify, and hold harmless Field Guides Incorporated, its agents, servants, employees, shareholders, officers, directors, attorneys, and contractors as more fully set forth in the Release and Indemnity Agreement on the reverse side of the registration form. Field Guides Incorporated acts only as an agent for the passenger in regard to travel, whether by railroad, motorcar, motorcoach, boat, airplane, or other means, and assumes no liability for injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity caused by defect in such vehicles or for any reason whatsoever, including the acts, defaults, or bankruptcies of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. Field Guides Incorporated accepts no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other causes. The tour participant shall bear all such losses and expenses. Field Guides Incorporated reserves the right to substitute hotels of similar category for those indicated and to make any changes in the itinerary where deemed necessary or caused by changes in air schedules. Field Guides Incorporated reserves the right to decline to accept or to retain any person as a member of any tour. Baggage is at ownerʼs risk entirely. Participants should be in good health and should consult a physician before undertaking a tour. If you have questions about the physical requirements of a tour, please contact our office for further information. Participants should prepare for the tour by reading the detailed itinerary, the information bulletin, and other pertinent matter provided by Field Guides. Each participant is responsible for bringing appropriate clothing and equipment as recommended in our bulletins. THE RECEIPT OF YOUR TOUR DEPOSIT SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE CONSENT TO THE ABOVE CONDITIONS. EACH TOUR PARTICIPANT AND EACH PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN OF A TOUR PARTICIPANT WHO IS UNDER 18 SHALL SIGN AND DELIVER THE RELEASE AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION. 11/14ADR 11/14TW